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Inis Dornglais ro gab Crimthann

  • Early Irish
  • prose

A brief prose passage found in the Book of Leinster, which summarises events in the power struggles between Brían, Fíachra and Ailill, sons of Eochaid Mugmédon, including the poisoning of Crimthann mac Fidaig, king of Ireland, by his sister Mongfhind. The text highlights some of the place-names in that story. Because the manuscript page is worn at the right edge, the text is now partly illegible.

First words (prose)
  • Inis Dornglais ro gab Crimthann mac Fidaig for maccaib Echach Mugmedoin
Manuscripts
p. 190c.1–18
beg. ‘Inis Dornglais ro gab Crimthann mac Fidaig for maccaib Echach Mugmedoin’
Language
  • Early Irish
Form
prose (primary)
Textual relationships
The presence of this text in the Book of Leinster may be explained in relation to the presence of a related poem in the same manuscript on p. 150. This is the poem attributed to Flann mac Lonáin, beg. Maiccni Echach ard a ngle, which deals with many of the same events. Most of the toponymic references in the prose text seem to be closely mirrored in the poem (Inis Dornglais, the cath Corad Coenraige, Fíachra’s grave i Foroí). A more elaborate version of the tale is told in Aided Chrimthainn meic Fidaig ⁊ trí mac Echach Muigmedóin, which quotes the aforementioned poem.
Related: Aided Chrimthaind maic Fhidaig ⁊ trí mac Echach MuigmedóinAided Chrimthaind maic Fhidaig ⁊ trí mac Echach Muigmedóin

A Middle Irish prosimetric saga about the infighting between the sons of Eochaid Mugmedón in their struggle for dominance, the roles of Mongfhind (mother of four of them) and her brother Crimthann in this conflict, and the fates of Brían, Fíachra, Ailill and their sons.

Maiccni Echach ard a ngléMaiccni Echach ard a ngléMiddle Irish poem (12 qq) attributed to Flann mac Lonáin on the struggle for dominance among Eochaid Mugmedón’s sons.

Classification

Subjects

Crimthann mac Fidaig
Crimthann mac Fidaig
(supp. fl. 4th century)
(time-frame ass. with Cycles of the Kings)
In Irish historical tradition, a king of Munster and high-king of Ireland, who is portrayed in origin legends concerning the Éoganachta. Through his father Fidach son of Dáire Cerbba, he is given a descent from Ailill Ólomm, but no dynastic group is said to spring from him. According to his aided or ‘death-tale’, he was poisoned by his own sister Mongfhind. Some narratives connect him to Conall Corc.

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Mongfhind ingen FhidaigMongfhind ingen Fhidaig
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

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Fíachra mac Echach Muigmedóin
Fíachra mac Echach Muigmedóin
(supp. fl. 4th/5th century)
son of Eochaid Mugmedón and Mongfhind; father of Nath Í; ancestor figure of the Uí Fíachrach of Connacht.

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Brión mac Echach Muigmedóin
Brión mac Echach Muigmedóin
(supp. fl. 4th/5th century)
In Irish tradition, a son of Eochaid Mugmedón, a half-brother to Níall Noígíallach, and eponymous ancestor of the Uí Briúin, a branch of the Connachta.

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Ailill mac Echach Muigmedóin
Ailill mac Echach Muigmedóin
(supp. fl. 4th/5th century)
In Irish tradition, a son of Eochaid Mugmedón and ancestor of the Uí Ailella, a branch of the Connachta.

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Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[dipl. ed.] Best, Richard Irvine, and M. A. OʼBrien, The Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála, vol. 4, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1965. xxvii + pp. 761-1117.
CELT – pp. 761-781 and 785-841: <link>
840
[ed.] [tr.] OʼGrady, Standish Hayes, Silva Gadelica (I–XXXI): a collection of tales in Irish, vol. 2: translation and notes, London: Williams & Norgate, 1892.
Digitale-sammlungen.de: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
494 (extract vi); 543 (translation)

Secondary sources (select)

Walsh, Paul, “Another place name in Westmeath: Foroí, Forach, Forrach, modern Farragh”, Irish Book Lover 28 (1941–1942): 54–56.
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
March 2022, last updated: June 2023